1. Technical Field Relating to the Invention
The present invention relates to a contact and a connecting apparatus electrically contacting a terminal of an inspection object such as an IC circuit, a liquid crystal display panel, a semiconductor wafer, etc. or a terminal of a wire around it.
2. Description of Related Art
An inspection object such as an IC circuit, a liquid crystal display panel, a semiconductor wafer, etc. undergoes various kinds of inspections. These inspections are conducted generally by electrically contacting a terminal of a circuit of an inspection object, a terminal of a wire around it, or the like and sending electrical signals to it. To electrically contact the terminal of the wire or the circuit, a contact is used.
An example of an inspection apparatus using this contact is shown in FIG. 14. An inspection apparatus 1 is mainly constituted by a prober apparatus 2 for supporting and electrically contacting the inspection object to conduct an inspection of electrical characteristics, an inspection apparatus test head 3 for electrically contacting terminals (not shown) of circuits of the inspection object by means of contacts (not shown) of a probe card of this prober apparatus 2, and a head turning apparatus 4 for supporting this inspection apparatus test head 3 and turning it to the prober apparatus 2 side for the inspection as well as turning it to a mounting table 5 side for standby.
The inspection apparatus test head 3 is mainly constituted by a main body portion 7 and a pogo pin portion 8 as shown in FIG. 15.
The main body portion 7 is mainly constituted by a frame 10, a pin card 11, and a back board 12 and electrically connects wires (not shown) from a control section side to after-mentioned respective pogo pins 13. The pogo pin portion 8 is constituted by a pogo pin head 14 for supporting the numerous pogo pins 13.
Also, an IC socket (not shown) comprising numerous pogo pins exists as well.
The aforementioned pogo pin 13 has an expansion/contraction function and reliably contacts a terminal of a circuit for electrical connection. As an example of such a pogo pin, an integrated circuit package inspection pogo pin described in Japanese patent Laid-open No. 2002-22768 (Patent Document 1) is raised. This integrated circuit package inspection pogo pin comprises an outer casing, a plunger slidably housed in this outer casing and moving vertically, and a spring housed in the outer casing and biasing the plunger to a terminal side and elastically supports the plunger by the spring in a state where the plunger contacts the terminal.
However, the pogo pin structured in this manner has a complicated structure, which causes high cost. Also, under a circumstance where there is a demand for further miniaturization and finer pitch in recent integrated circuits, the pogo pin structure using the spring has difficulty in meeting the demand for miniaturization and fine pitch.
As means for solving this problem, a contact pin and a pogo pin described in Japanese patent Laid-open No. 2005-351785 (Patent Document 2) are raised. The contact pin and pogo pin have a bellows structure, and a portion having this bellows structure functions as a spring.
However, the contact pin and the pogo pin described in Patent Document 2 also have a complicated structure, which causes high cost.
Further, along with further miniaturization and finer pitch of IC circuits, etc. as inspection objects, there is a demand for miniaturization of the pogo pin and shortening of the pin length. However, the pogo pin structure using the spring or the bellows described in Patent Document 1 or 2 has difficulty in meeting the demand for miniaturization and shortening.